The Nanie Pillow



My Grandmother's Dresses



As some of you may know, I've taken on the task of commemorating my late grandmother's life by using her dresses to make quilts for my relatives.  When  I first started this project, I had very lofty ambitions and planned to use the fifty or so dresses in unique block patterns.  However once I actually started, I quickly realized that it would take me years to make the quilts.  I would also have the challenge of trying to coordinate all of these different fabric prints and types, which could be difficult sewing, so I had to bring my ambitious plans down a notch.  With the plan changed, I had five blocks that I had finished using the card trick pattern that I wouldn't be using on the quilts.  Of course I didn't want to just toss my handiwork and scraps and knowing that my mom and aunts were getting together, I made them pillows:

Card Trick Using Four Dresses

I used a solid light blue fabric cut in 4 strips to border the block and make it into a 12 inch square.  I added overlapping panels on the back to create the pillow cover. 

Special Thanks to demossdesigns for her tips on how to showcase the dresses and not spend so much time on each square.  This wonderful quilter on Etsy freely shared her ideas and quilting expertise with me. Thanks to her I'm now making good progress on the quilts.